At First Glance
by Fae
Summary: Lily gets accepted into Hogwarts, and gets her first taste of the magical world.
1. Chapter One

  
  
  
Lily Evans scowled and threw "The Pearl" on the floor of her room. What a boring book.  
  
  
  
As she contemplated how it was possible for someone to write a book as awful at that, she gazed around her tiny bedroom and sighed. An upturned trashcan littered the corner near the door, and bits of paper, gum wrappers, and orange peels were strewn around the rest of the room. A decrepit poster of a cat in a basket stared at her from the opposite wall, and she ignored the huge rip in its center. Her room was so messy that she didn't notice the dark shape on her window until it started tapping on it.  
  
  
  
Lily slowly lifted her head and her eyes widened. An owl was flying outside her window, and it had something tied to its leg.  
  
  
  
Lily loved birds. Her librarian knew that very well too, since Lily had read every single bird book on the shelf. Lily had read enough to know that owls were nocturnal, and that it was strange to see them during the day. It was also strange to see them in the middle of the city, on the 12th floor of a London apartment complex. Lily stared.  
  
  
  
The owl rapped on the window a second time, and Lily jumped up and opened it. As the gray bird glided in, she saw that the thing on its leg was a letter – addressed to her. With her eyebrows positioned as high as they could go, Lily untied the letter, and the owl immediately flew off.  
  
  
  
She blinked, and then turned her attention to the envelope in front of her. The address itself was very precise, and she wondered briefly how they knew exactly where she slept.  
  
  
  
Her amazement doubled when she unfolded the thick piece of parchment inside the envelope.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Dear Miss Evans,  
  
  
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into one of the most prestigious institutions of magic in Britain: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
  
  
"Although this letter may shock you, for you may not believe in magic, we assure you that we are completely in earnest. You have been born into a Muggle family, which refers to people who are not magical, unlike you.  
  
  
"Enclosed is a list of school supplies that you will need for your first year. They may be purchased in a place called Diagon Alley, which is in located off of Thaire Street, in London. Enter a small pub called The Leaky Cauldron, which is to be found between a bookshop and a record shop. Note: Only you will be able to see the pub, so make sure you point it out to your parents. The people in there will show you to Diagon Alley, where you may exchange your Muggle currecy for wizard gold.  
  
  
  
"You will also need to take the Hogwarts Express to go to Hogwarts. The train leaves at platform 9¾ at eleven o'clock sharp. To get onto the platform, walk through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Do not be afraid. If possible, try to do it in a way that doesn't attract the attention of the Muggles at the station. We are sorry, but your parents will be unable to get on the platform.  
  
  
"Yours Sincerely,  
  
Jacqueline Hunt,   
  
Deputy Headmistress"  
  
  
  
Arilla Evans finished reading Lily's acceptance letter aloud. She scanned it again, in total bewilderment, before handing it to her husband.  
  
  
  
When she'd first read it, Lily had been just as shocked at the letter as mother now was. But after that shock had worn off, she'd begun to think that going to a school for magic would be the best thing that's ever happened to her.  
  
  
  
To her great delight, her parents agreed with her. They looked up and smiled.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Lily Evans waved goodbye to her parents and her sulky sister Petunia and turned to examine the platform. If she didn't know better, she'd be afraid. But since everything else in the letter had proven true, she took hold of her trolley and walked casually towards the barrier.  
  
  
  
And she went right though.  
  
  
  
The train Lily would be taking to Hogwarts was crimson in color and had a steady current of steam swirling out of its engine. Since she had come half an hour early, most of the compartments were empty. She picked one at random and packed her stuff in it, and then walked back onto the platform to watch the witches and wizards pour in through the magical barrier.  
  
  
  
There were people and animals of all sizes. Owls, cats, toads, and other magical creatures were adding their cries to the din. Teenagers, children, and adults were pushing past trolleys and their pets as they made their way towards the train that would soon be departing. Farewells were being bidden and tears were being shed, but the overall expression on the faces of the strangers were happy and friendly.  
  
  
As Lily watched the smiling faces rush past, a small girl with wispy blonde hair caught her attention. She was struggling with a trunk that looked much too heavy for her, and Lily ran over to assist her.  
  
  
  
"Need any help with that?" Lily asked politely.  
  
  
  
The girl looked at first startled, but then quite grateful. "Oh – thank you so much! This thing weighs a ton! My name's Amanda Hawkins – Mandy for short." Mandy smiled tiredly. "And you are…?"  
  
  
  
"Lily Evans. Here, you can sit in the compartment I'm in. It was empty–" Lily pushed open the door, only to find herself confronted with a nervous looking boy her age with light brown hair. "–last time I checked." She looked at him anxiously.  
  
  
  
He looked startled and said quickly, "Oh! Were you here first – I'm sorry, I didn't know! The luggage, it… I wasn't sure…"  
  
  
  
"It's okay," Lily assured him hurriedly. "Don't worry. You can stay here too." He looked uncertain. "I'm Lily Evans. And this is Amanda Hawkins."  
  
  
  
Mandy smiled. "Just Mandy."  
  
  
  
"Remus Lupin." The boy flinched, which puzzled Lily. She sat entered the compartment and helped Mandy stow away her trunk.  
  
  
  
"So…are either of you two from Muggle families too…or is it it just me?" Lily looked between the two curiously.  
  
  
  
"My parents are Muggles too," said Mandy. "You should've seen their faces when I got that letter…"  
  
  
  
"Pure blood." Remus grinned uncertainly. "For ages I think. My parents went to Hogwarts too. They said I'd have a great time. I dunno, though… And I was so surprised when I got accep-" He stopped abruptly.  
  
  
  
"You were surprised? But your parents went, didn't they?"  
  
  
  
"Well…" At this Remus flushed a little. "It's supposed to be the best school isn't it? Not everyone gets in, you know. There are other magical schools. I was just glad to have gotten into Hogwarts." He did look a bit relieved, Lily noticed.  
  
  
  
"My sister, Petunia, wasn't too happy about it. She's three years older than me. She got really jealous when I got that letter. I guess it is kind of unfair, to the Muggles. I'm sure magic would make life so much easier for everyone," Lily mused.  
  
  
  
"Yeah!" Mandy nodded her head fervently. "I mean, there wouldn't be any problems at all! Just wave your wand, and-"  
  
  
  
Remus snorted.  
  
  
  
"What?" Mandy demanded.  
  
  
  
Remus looked at them disbelievingly. "You honestly think magic would solve all your problems? Ha. I wish." He looked extremely morose. Mandy raised her eyebrows at Lily, but said nothing.  
  
  
  
Lily had to admit that Remus was right. She also assumed that there was at least one big problem in his life that magic couldn't fix, judging by the way he was acting. She sighed, and turned to look out of the window.  
  
  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading this. I think it has promise. Even if its only a *little* bit of promise. Please "be a responsible reader and review." You don't know how much it means to us writers who are unnoticed and unloved! One review can mean a huge difference! :) Thank u sooo much! (I might actually add some plot to this story if I get some reviews... If I dont, well, this will be the sad end. And I'll go back to writing poems like a normal unnoticed fanfic author.) - Robbie  



	2. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO  
  
The rest of the train ride passed very uneventfully for Lily, and when it began to slow as it reached their destination, she, Mandy, and Remus came out of their compartment, and were the first to exit. They followed the voice of a large man who was calling first years to him, and the nervous group of eleven-year-olds marched to the vast lake that lay in front of the Hogwarts castle.  
  
Once the castle itself came into view many of the students gasped, Lily included. It was the greatest sight she'd ever imagined; turrets were sticking out every which way, lights were shining from thousands of windows, and the grounds around it were very expansive. To think that for the next year, she'd be living here!  
  
The first-years clambered into tiny rowboats. Lily, Mandy, Remus, and a boy with sleek, ebony hair rode in the same boat. Lily wanted to ask the dark-haired boy his name, but since every other person was silent, she remained so too.  
  
The troop entered what looked like an underground harbor, and stepped out of their boats. They climbed up a flight of stone steps without uttering a sound, for many mouths still hung slightly open. The huge man briefly told the group to stay in a small room he had led the to, and then he left.  
  
Lily was fascinated, although she had not the slightest clue of what was going to happen. Mandy looked a bit scared.  
  
"Do you have any idea what's going on?" she whispered to Lily, who shook her head, and looked to Remus.  
  
"I think…" He paused, as if listening. The door swung open, and a short witch in her late thirties entered the room. She had straight, chin-lengh, gray-brown hair and kind eyes and a smile. Lily immediately knew she would like this woman.  
  
The lady, Professor Hunt, proceeded to explain about the Sorting ceremony and Hogwarts' four houses. After she'd left, loud conversations broke out, and she had to return twice to tell a tall, tanned boy with shoulder-length black hair to be quiet.  
  
Lily was aware of the twinges of apprehension in her stomach, and Mandy looked as scared as she felt. Remus watched them with an amused smile, and told them that all you had to do was try on a hat.  
  
Mandy sighed audibly, and looked very relieved. Lily noticed that her expressions were very easy to read, and told her so. Mandy playfully nudged her in the ribs, and pointed to the door, which had just opened. Professor Hunt was motioning them to come inside.  
  
Lily shot her two friends a sidelong glance, and together the entered the Great Hall.  
  
Lily's breath caught in her throat as she took in its splendor. Hundreds of floating candles lit the room with a soft, yellow glow. The place settings were all made of glittering metals, and they lay on four long tables where the students were seated. As she glanced at the ceiling, her eyes widened. There wasn't a ceiling! She pointed this out to Mandy and Remus, and they too looked awe-struck.  
  
The first years were to form a line in front of the school, and wait for their names to be called. Lily was glad that her last name started with an E, and that E's were at the beginning of the alphabet. She wanted to get this over with. Professor Hunt was calling out the students' names.  
  
"Abatine, Jacob!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Ashton, Elanor!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Black, Sirius!"  
  
The tanned boy that Professor Hunt had to tell off for talking walked forward assertively. When he got to the stool though, he put on a look of panic. Frantically, he began searching for something, under the stool, around it, and even asked a nearby student if she'd seen it. She blinked at him.  
  
Then he stared at the stool, seemingly seeing it for the first time. A triumphed grin crossed his face, and he smugly picked up the Sorting Hat, turned to the crowd, winked, and pointed at the hat.  
  
"Found it!"  
  
Lot of people laughed, and some were shaking their heads. One of the other first years clapped. Sirius bowed before trying it on.   
  
The hat took only about five seconds before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"   
  
The table on the left clapped very hard.  
  
After "Calesti, Eric" and "Dobson, Horace," "Evans, Lily!" was called. Lily swallowed and tried to look confident as she walked up to the tattered old hat, and put it on.  
  
"Oh! Well, here's a nice one! Very intelligent, Ravenclaw, perhaps? But there's a lot of courage and stamina, can't ignore that. Most definitely a GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Lily walked slowly, amid a loads of cheers, to the table on the far left, and ended up sitting next to Sirius Black.  
  
He grinned at her and said, "You know what that hat told me?" He put on a high pitched voice and squeaked, "Oh yes! This one will go far! Brave, confident, unafraid to stand out, and loyal as a dog! GRYFFINDOR!" His voice returned to normal. "Well, I know I'm not afraid to stand out, but, I mean… It's not everyday that some beat-up excuse for a hat compares me with a dog! Woof woof!"  
  
Lily stared, amazed, at him for a second, and then cracked up as "Hani, Fifell" was sorted into Slytherin. As "Hopkins, Amanda!" was called, though, she watched Mandy, who looked very tense, intently.  
  
A full minute later, Mandy was still under the hat. Lily was starting to feel a little sorry for her, when the hat suddenlly shouted, quite decisively, "GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Lily whooped and clapped loudly for her friend, who sat down on her other side.  
  
Remus was called a while later, and the second he tried on the hat it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" He looked nonplussed as he sat down next to Mandy, who pretended to glare at him.  
  
"That was quick! It took me forever! That stupid thing was rambling on and on and on…"   
  
Remus smirked at her.   
  
Lily began to grow bored as the group of first-years slowly diminished. As "Snape, Severus" was called, the boy who'd been sharing her boat walked forward. It took quite a bit of time for the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!" Lily clapped politely, but Sirius booed.  
  
It then occurred to her how ironic it was for Sirius Black to have first name pronounced as "serious." She giggled, and as Mandy looked at her questioningly, Lily insisted it was nothing.  
  
Once the sorting had finally ended, a tall, thin man with a silver beard ("That's Professor Dumbledore!" whispered Remus) rose and addressed the student body.  
  
"I kindly welcome you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Before our delicious meal begins, I would like to introduce the new Transfiguration teacher this year, Professor McGonagall!"  
  
A young witch with wavy black hair waved at the school nervously as they applauded her. When the applause stopped, Lily gaped at the trays near her, which had suddenly filled with food. She took a glance at Mandy, who's mouth hung open in an expression of unreality.  
  
Remus shook his head at them, and dropped a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto Mandy's plate, as her hands weren't moving. She suddenly came to life, and, while piling her plate full of food, said, "I can't believe this place."  
  
Lily nodded fervently, but then noticed the thoughtful smirk emerging on Sirius's face. When she noticed that he was looking at Professor McGonagall, she asked suspiciously, "What?"   
  
"How do you think Professor McGonagall would look with pink hair?"  
  
Mandy snorted into her mashed potatoes. "Oh, that poor woman…"  
  
  
  
  
A/N – There's chapter two. Still no plot. Don't worry, it's coming. Any ideas would be welcomed in the reviews also!   
  
Thank you sooooo much for the reviewing: DrummerGirl (I'm trying to make my characters more surprised in this chapter!), Kat & Gilly, and Jinskid3. They mean soo much!   
  
What? Are you laughing at me for my teensy tiny thanks section? Well, who's the only one who can make it bigger, HMM.........  
  
-Robbie  
  



	3. Chapter Three

**CHAPTER TWO**

After the feast, Lily and her fellow first-year Gryffindors were led upstairs to their dormitories, where Lily met her roommates. There was, of course, Mandy and Lily herself, but there were also four other girls: Gauness Swilt, who had her long chestnut hair pulled back in a braid; Rillet Aumortia, a dark, French girl who was very intelligent, but who could not speak English very well; and Cindy Xu and her twin sister Kait, the two of which Lily still could still not tell apart.

Lily suddenly grinned.

"This year is going to be fantastic."

"I agree. But first we need to figure out bed arrangements." Kait smiled sweetly at her new friends, and then stared hard at her sister. At last she said, "Cindy and I have decided that we want to be on opposite sides of the room. I'll take the bed farthest from the door."

Soon, almost everyone was asleep. Lily stared at the ceiling for a while, wondering silently what classes the next day would be like. She turned on her side abuptly, and found Rillet staring at her in the bed opposite. Lily smiled and whispered to her-

"Hi."

Rillet smiled. "It is warm." Though she knew little English, her accent was flawless. Lily was struck with admiration for the girl. She already could speak much of the language, and had only been in Britain for three weeks prior to coming to Hogwarts. _She must be musical too, with an ear like that, _Lily thought suddenly, and vowed to ask her about it later.

"Yes…"

"I want to ask you…help me with English? She is language hard."

Lily was a bit surprised. It was her first day after meeting this girl, and Rillet was already asking for lessons! _ But, then again, _she thought, _Rillet will need to understand the school material. _ _And it_ would_ be nice to get to know someone else… _ "Sure," Lily whispered back with a grin and a nod. "I'll be glad to help."

***

Remus had warned Lily about the owls that deliver the mail the previous night, but her breath still caught at the sight of them. She didn't yet have a bird, but at the sight of the ones overhead, she immediately longed for one.

"Many," said Rillet simply, as Mandy, too, stared.

Lily then focused her attention on the sheet of paper – her schedule – infront of her. But instead of displaying the name 'Lily Evans', it said-

Sirius Black suddenly stood up on his seat, and, in a voice audible to the whole Gryffindor table, demanded, "Who has my schedule?"

Lily sighed loudly, and, swallowing a grin, got up to return the schedule to its rightful owner. She adopted a stern voice.

"Well, Mr. Black," she scolded, "I would have expected more from you! Letting most important things – namely your schedule!- fall in the unkowing hands of-"

Sirius turned around, and so did Remus Lupin, who was sitting next to him. The former narrowed his eyes slightly before his expression, too, became regal.

"My dearest Lady - or, Lily, I suppose - would you please allow me to be of assistance…" he said before making a swipe for the paper in her hands.

But Lily, vaguely wondering why her little trip to hand back Sirius's schedule was getting out of control, refused to give up the slip of paper. "Where's mine?"

Sirius looked affronted. "I do _not_ know."

"Find it, then. What work for a poor, frail being such as myself…"

Sirius made another announcement to the Gryffindors, informing them of his quest for Lily's schedule.

Throughout the exchange Remus had been watching them, looking mildly amused. But his expression had just changed. Lily noticed.

"Why the slight widening of the eyes, my dear fellow?"

Remus tore his gaze from the High Table and glared at Sirius. "You weren't _serious _about dying Professor McGonagall's hair pink…were you?"

Sirius stared.

He blinked.

He grinned.

"Now_ that _turned out _good_!"

Lily rolled her eyes and directed her attention towards Remus. She handed him Sirius's schedule, as Sirius didn't seem much interested anymore. Remus, keeping a straight face, picked up hers from underneath Sirius's plate.

She stared. "It was there the whole time?"

"He told me not to tell."

Remus's face was passive. Then he grinned. "See you in classes."

Lily didn't know what to say, so she went back to sit with the girls, perusing the information on the paper in front of her. Their first class was Transfiguration. _Transfiguration…_

Lily's head suddenly snapped up, and she looked at Professor McGonagall, who had just seemed to notice her predicament. Lily poked Mandy, who sat on her other side.

"Ouch! What-"

"Look what Sirius did to Professor McGonagall!"

Lily's friend stared. "Can you believe that! On her first day, too! And she can't be much older than the seventh years…" Mandy looked almost as distressed as the teacher, who was now receiving some derisive remarks from the students. "Oh, I'll kill Sirius…"

"You didn't seem very mad about it last night, when he told us…"

Mandy looked up at her and glared. "I didn't know he was really going to do it."

"Oh."

There was an akward pause, then-

"I'm sorry…it's just, I can't stand that sort of thing. Professor McGonagall doesn't look like one who would gladly accept a practical joke…Sirius could've waited until she was more familiar with all of us…"

Lily didn't meet her friend's eyes, but nodded.

The two girls turned back to their schedules.

.

A/N - Okay. Phew. I'd thought I'd abandoned this story already, but I had the strange urge to write the next chapter. I've taken four months of a gruelling English class since I began the story, so I hope chapter three seemed a bit better than the previous two. Now, though, I have a bit of an idea what the plot shall be...:) But, of course, I better write it over the rest of Winter Break, because once school starts up again... ::shrugs:: My English teacher kindly explained to my class that we'd just went through the "easy" part of the year, and that second semester will be "much more taxing". Huh. Fun. Well, reviews are welcomed; they keep my spirits high....:) 


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